The Plaza
The town of Orange was surveyed and plotted in a rectangular grid by surveyor William Glassell for Alfred Chapman in 1871. The Orange Plaza, or simply the Plaza, was carved from the four intersecting corners at the exact center of the original town. Chapman deeded the Plaza to Orange for use as a townsquare, but it was not developed as a park until 1886. A group of concerned citizens launched fundraisers to plant grass, flowers, shrubs and trees between walkways and bring in a three-tier, iron fountain from New York. In 1937, a new electric fountain was installed and dedicated to Orange’s war dead. Surrounded by commercial buildings, the Plaza shows the strong influence of the midwestern town square of the late 19th century which would have been attractive to prospective settlers from the Midwest. The Plaza is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Orange, Orange County
Photographers: Mary Madden, Andrew Schmidt, Larry Slonim